Irrigation expert G S Paramashivaiah on Thursday requested the government to set up a high level expert committee for studying the issue of tapping water from the west flowing rivers in the State.

Speaking at an interactive meeting on providing drinking water in Banglaore, he said during the last two years he had pleaded several times with the government to set up the Committee, but the government has not met the request so far.

About 149 TMC ft of water was available from the west flowing rivers in the Nethravathi basin. “In addition to this if 50 TMC ft of water from Tunga and Bhadra sub-basins is utilised, we can provide drinking water to 11,270 villages in 46 taluks of six districts including Bangalore Urban district and fill up 9728 minor irrigation tanks twice a year”, he observed. He allayed the fear that the project may affect the flora-fauna in the Western ghat.

The water will be tapped from the higher ranges of western ghat and taken through channel, he added.

Parramashivaiah, who is heading a committee constituted by the BWSSB for finding alternative sources of water for Bangalore, said that there was a possibility of bringing Hemavathi water to Bangalore from Kunigal. “But the present capacity of the canal at Kunigal is 690 cusec. If Bangalore has to get water, it’s capacity has to be increased to 1400 cusec. But as the canal lining work has been completed, it is a difficult task”, he observed.

Legislators Ramesh Kumar, J C Madhuswamy, G V Sriramareddy, V R Sudarshan, Krishna Byre Gowda, former MP Basavaraju were present. Home Minister M P Prakash and Leader of the Opposition N Dharam Singh, who were scheduled to participate, did not turn up for the programme.